You have to make sure that all your qualifications are current and commercially required - don't even consider courses which provide certificates that are worthless because they're 'in-house'. From an employer's perspective, only the major heavyweights such as Microsoft, Cisco, Adobe or CompTIA (as an example) give enough bang for your buck. Nothing else will cut the mustard.

If you're aiming to progress a career in I.T., begin by developing some networking knowledge. Before you are aware of how a PC functions and communicates with other PCs, anything more is just nonsense. Providing you have decent literacy skills, you'll find programs like CompTIA's A+ and 'Network+' provides you with a superb grounding to begin your career. Details of these certifications are available in the 'CompTIA' section of this site.

Progressing from this level will often take you to the Microsoft MCSA/MCSE or perhaps the 'Cisco' CCNA/CCNP, based on whether you are more interested in the hardware or software end of the equation. Nevertheless, an in depth understanding of MS's operating-systems is extremely useful as they're such a vital aspect of the majority of networking-environments. Once again, these certifications are featured in depth on the relevant pages within this website.

However, you might choose to carry on down the vendor neutral route with more CompTIA accreditation (for example Server+, Linux+ and Security+ ) or maybe try your hand at the wire-less (Wi-Fi) aspect of things by taking the 'CWNP'/'CWNA'.

An all too common mistake that many potential students make is to look for the actual course to take, and not focus on the desired end-result. Schools are brimming over with students that chose a program because it looked interesting - in place of something that could gain them the job they want. It's a testament to the marketing skills of the big companies, but a large percentage of students begin programs that seem spectacular in the prospectus, but which gets us a career that doesn't satisfy. Just ask several university graduates and you'll see where we're coming from.

It's a good idea to understand the expectations of your industry. What accreditations they will want you to have and how to gain experience. You should also spend a little time assessing how far you reckon you're going to want to progress your career as it will often present a very specific set of accreditations. Our recommendation would be to take guidance from a skilled professional before making your final decision on some particular study program, so you're sure from the outset that a program provides the skill-set required for your career choice.

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